Growing Strong: The Never-Ending Thread
by Micena
Summary: This story takes place long after memories of Naruto and his friends have perished from Konoha. New students, new teachers, same problems. Kimiko tries to work together with her team when reality smacks her in the face, making that the least of her problems. Yoshiki tries to stay alive while protecting his family's jutsu. Keii tries to discover himself. Rated M just to be safe.
1. Prologue

Prologue

In a hundred years, the shinobi world picked up its pieces and managed to heal along the way. Aside from little fastly burning-out civil wars, the Nations ceased to wage war. But under that mask of peace corruption spread around like a rash. From the heroes of the world, shinobi started to turn into mercenaries, while Kages turned into their wicked leaders. Konoha endured while turning a blind eye to the situation.

Clans have been created, clans were no more. The Uchiha clan extinguished like a flame under the rain. By that time, however, there were brilliant shinobi who were able to extract the secrets behind the Sharingan and the Amaterasu.

While Mangekyou Sharingan was regarded with reluctance by the Konoha leaders, the Sharingan itself was given to a family who was to take the Uchiha name as well, though not related to the ancient bloodline whatsoever.

The Amaterasu was classified as a severe S-ranked kinjutsu, but one man was allowed to study it, developing the therefore known _Dark Flames _and _Shadowplay_. That man took the name of Tokuro and was believed to have mastered Amaterasu himself without any Bloodline Limit to his ancestry.

Years passed, the Uchiha and Tokuro clans grew and established themselves as ruling. The Uchiha were rendered dangerous because of the fabled Mangekyou Sharingan, thus kept at distance from the Hokage. The Tokuro clan was ruling like once the Senju clan had, because everyone thought that their _Shadowplay _was harmless.

It is fate that brings down whatever goes up, as at the moment of the following presentation of events the Konoha Calendar is decorated with a mourning day called Slaughter Day. It marks the doom of the Tokuro clan.

The heir of the clan was only a few months old when the uncle of the head turned up dead. Since then bodies started to appear as a feast for flies was laid down. The murderer had chosen his victims wisely for, one day, the Tokuro clansmen started accusing and killing each other. The head died on the just-made battlefield. His wife protected her baby to her last breath as none other than Tokuro Isamu, the head's cousin, took her life. The baby was saved by Taashi Yuudai, _the Butcher Hero _as he deemed himself, but Isamu escaped. News of him being in the Lightning Country traveled to Konoha, but the Council decided to ignore him and take care of the matter at hand. The Tokuro heir became the most important child and received thorough preparation for what was to come. The Konoha leaders decided that he grow strong, marry another powerful heir and make a family, which was to return in time to the mighty clan it had once been.

As fate played dice with them, the Tokuro's match ran away from the village and the leaders were forced to make a reconsideration of the matter. The heir did not pause his training, promising the power of a genius.

But the thing about normal people is that they never cease to surprise you. This is the story of a normal girl who lives and dies without making it to the Legendary Shinobi Books, but she achieves something more important as she witnesses her friends shining in the spotlight.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Back**

Kimiko rose under Tokuro's look. His icy-blue eyes were observing her unmovingly, as if she were some beaten animal. Her hair was all tousled and she was breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry," she said between breaths, "I can't let you do this."

"It's not your business." he muttered, unmoved.

Kimiko disagreed, but there really was no point in trying to reason with him, she knew. She also knew that she couldn't beat him. She hoped that someone would come and stop him. She decided to stall him and play on his unseemingly biding feelings.

"I found the answer to that question, you know?" Her smile was full of hope against his cold posture.

The teacher was proud of his students, however cocky in their innocence. He knew they all wanted to become the strongest, the fastest, the smartest, but they were clueless about all the work that awaited girls, having been taught that their main purpose was to bear children, were a bit more realistic, but the boys couldn't be helped. He rose his voice.

"I have a question, and I want each and every one of you to answer it someday."

"I'm sure I can answer it now!" said the Smartass with a determined look.

Oreya Kimiko was undoubtedly the smartest of his students, if not the most gifted. Her parents were lowly merchants who had moved to Konoha nine years before, so she had no one teach her the basics of being a ninja. She studied and trained on her own, however, and her earnestness had given her the opportunity to stand out in a group of clan heirs and offsprings of respected shinobi. But what unarguably made her acknowledged was the fact that she was a smartass, hence the nickname. If any of the clans' heads assisted a class at the Academy, they would immediately wonder who her ancestors had been, or rather be ashamed with their own children. She had been tagged as 'the poor girl' ever since she had begun attending the classes, accompanied by all the misassumptions about the flawed education and upbringing that poor children had to encounter.

"I want you all to think about this. The answer will affect your lives directly and influence your happiness. What is life?" he said ignoring her.

"Oh, that's simple. It's the sum of events and actions one takes part in from birth to death." she answered simply.

The teacher laughed heartily.

"Not that kind of life. What is _your _life? What is someone's purpose? What is the purpose to life?" he spouted loudly.

That left Kimiko with no answer. Surely there was no purpose in life, was it? That was why people were able to do as they pleased.

"I did not expect you to have an answer, as it is not expected from a thirteen-year old. You have your entire life to think about it, but the answer will eventually set you free.

"I know I scolded you a lot of times, and I do not regret it. But know that I'm very proud of you, you give me hope that the shinobi world will not sink as soon as everyone thinks. As you are now, you all possess the ability to pass the graduation exams tomorrow. You will leave this Academy to become genins under a jounin, advance to chuunin rank and attend numerous missions, each more perilous than the last. When you go home today, I want you all to study and train and make my words worthwhile. I want you to give me a reason not to scold you anymore, understood?"

"Hai!" they all replied militarily.

"Good. Dismissed!" the teacher called to his students one last time.

The children scattered in the classroom and out of it in shouts of joy. Kimiko heard someone call her and turned with a smile.

"Sachi-chan!" she rushed to meet her friend.

Okamura Sachi was a kind girl, her beauty complemented by her modesty and her way of being nice to most of the people she knew. She was supportive and, even if she could be such a busybody sometimes, her friends couldn't help but love her.

Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, as usual, her bangs and loose strands dancing against her cheeks and forehead. Her dark brown eyes were always warm and seemed to be smiling.

Next to her, Kimiko felt wan, with her thick, unruly pinkish-purple hair that she held in a braided tail on her right shoulder, her grey eyes that felt out of place on her childish, rough-edged face. She knew beauty had never been one of her assets, but was grateful for her strength and intelligence, which she found more useful. She wouldn't have a queue of suitors following her, but she would become a strong and respected kunoichi, who would manage to make a life for herself and her little sister, Karami.

"So, school's finally over!" Sachi exclaimed happily. "I swear, this was the longest school day ever!"

"Maybe because we had two extra classes, you know?" Kimiko replied, trying to hide her enthusiasm.

"It's not just that, it's this feeling that we're finally gonna be ninja!" she jumped playfully. "All this training, all this preaching is finally over! We'll beat some bad guys and my father is finally gonna teach me the family jutsu! I must be the only one who doesn't have her own ninjutsu yet!"

"Yeah, I guess so." Kimiko muttered looking away. She had no techniques to learn, she would have to make them herself, like some legendary genius. "Well, I'd better get going. You know my folks don't like it when I'm late."

"Not so fast." Sachi said accusingly. "Have you told Keii how you felt?"

Kimiko quietly looked at her feet.

"You promised! You said that you'd tell him before school's over!" She tried to sound disappointed, but broke into a laugh. Kimiko remained silent. "You're hopeless! But I'm sure you'll be in the same team, so I guess you have plenty of time."

"Yeah, whatever." Kimiko tried to brush off her embarrassment. "How do you know how the teams will be anyway?"

"Well, I studied a little about how teams are set up. They put one brilliant kid," she winked, "with two average ones. They also observe who would work together best, which is you, Keii, and, probably, ... umm, Aiku? Oh, actually ..."

Kimiko didn't want to study probabilities - whoever got in her team, she would treat him like a friend and learn how to work with him.

" ... or maybe Tokuro-kun over there!"

"What?!" Kimiko snapped. "There's no way I'll team up with that cocky shithead!"

"Oh God, you shouldn't use those words!" Sachi put a hand to her mouth. "See? This is why boys don't like you! He could hear you!"

"That's the point!" Kimiko yelled looking at him standing against a tree lazily. He just sent her back a wicked grin, at which she glared until she heard her name called again.

She turned around smiling.

"You took a while." she said to Keii.

Taashi Keii was her childhood friend, the best she had ever had. His light brown hair, orange-brown eyes and soft features were like a painting brought to life by his kindness and diplomatic behaviour. He wasn't the exact image of a ruthless shinobi, but he was all his clan could ever want of him. The Taashi clan was the biggest one by far, combining for an eighth of the Konoha's population, with the marriage ties, even a quarter, some said. They could use an heir like him, who could soothe any conflict that may be sown between them. A tragedy like what had happened with the Tokuro clan thirteen years before could tear Konoha apart at that moment.

"Let's go, then. I have to study a lot for tomorrow." he said. "Goodbye, Sachi-chan!"

"See you tomorrow!" she waved and went in another direction.

Keii and Kimiko started on their way home. They were neighbours, that was how they had met when the Oreya family had come to Konoha nine years before. She didn't remember much from that time, nor about the small village in the Earth Country they had used to live in.

Kimiko stopped trying to hide her enthusiasm.

"Finally we get to be shinobi!" she said stretching.

"Well, you'll be a kunoichi, but for now it makes no difference. I hope we get in the same team, you know?" he laughed insecurely.

He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, Kimiko noted.

"Say," she started, "there was this thing I wanted to ask you..."

"Sure, what is it?" he said like he didn't see her moving her eyes and shaking her hands nervously.

The words seemed to choke her. She felt stupid all of a sudden. She was a thirteen-year old stupid brat, what did she know about love?

"Never mind." she gave up. "It doesn't matter." she tried to brush it all off with a smile.

"O...kay, if you say so. Would your parents mind if I stayed for dinner? We could train and study together, and I could use the help, you know?" he said shyly.

"Sure, why not?" she said knowingly. Keii's grades were far lower than he deserved, so he needed a good grade at the exam.

"You should tell Junri, though. You know how she teases us when she sees me." she chuckled.

Keii instantly blushed. His little sister was of the same age as Karami, however far less shy. She liked to call them 'not-so-secret lovebirs'. If only Kimiko knew that she called them that because she had found out that Keii liked her.

"I bet that if I yelled from your backyard, she would hear me."

"Okay then." Kimiko laughed.

The sunset found all the students studying. Some in pairs, some with parents, but one with his personal teacher and, after a training session that had nothing to do with the exam, but focused on kinjutsu and taijutsu, he began studying for the paper exam. He needed no one else and he had no one else. Life in the Hokage Tower was lonelier than one would think, but he didn't mind. He was Tokuro Yoshiki and it wasn't like him to need things. He had never known his parents, or any other relative for that matter. He knew there was one out there, but that man would kill him if he ever saw him.

* * *

Okay, so this idea has been sprouting in my mind for quite some time now. The first arc is quite like in the anime but the second one is huge. I hope you like the characters and they're kawaii enough 8-), many more to come. If you have any advice on the plot, I'm open to suggestions :). Feel free to point out any of my mistakes 'cause I've been staring at this text for long enough and I'm a perfectionist xD. See you next time :D


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3: Next **

With hearts in their hands, the students were waiting for their results. Kimiko knew she had perfect grades for the paper test as well as the performace test. Even their teacher had mumbled 'perfect' when he saw her Transformation Jutsu.

All the students who could perform Transformation Jutsu properly had passed the graduation exam. Their grades determined the team they would take part in.

"Team 9." the teacher began. "Sensei: Hoshieki Ayumi. Genins: Oreya Kimiko: 198 points."

Kimiko sighed somewhat disappointed. She must have made one of those stupid mistakes only sleepwalking people could make at such an exam.

"Taashi Keii: 168 points."

Keii's and Kimiko's faces lit up. They looked at each other, all disappointment from underwhelming results gone.

"Tokuro Yoshiki: 190 points."

Kimiko went straight to anger as she bellowed:

"But, that's not right! His score is too high!"

She hated to admit it, but the guy was smart and talented and had special training that she couldn't even imagine.

"Believe me, his grades make him right," the teacher replied, slightly less bored than a second before. Tokuro didn't mind and was instead focusing on his abruptly good result.

Unlike Kimiko, Yoshiki was pleased with that team setup. He deemed all of the other girls utterly and unrecoverably stupid, but at least what he knew about Kimiko was that she wasn't stupid. He teased her all the time, but he had chosen her to be his comrade in what was going to be one hell of a team.

Kimiko, however, was fuming, and Keii was trying to calm her down. Keii knew that the two couldn't stand each other, but he didn't know that she resented Yoshiki mostly because of the special treatment he was getting all the time. He was allowed to skip class to go train with his own teacher while she had to pay attention in class and then train by herself till dusk. And then there was his arrogant smile that made her want to hack off his face with an axe. Her bloody fantasy was interrupted by their teacher resuming.

"Team 10. Sensei: Akimichi Naoki."

To his annoyance, the teacher was again interrupted by the exclamations of the awed students. The Akimichi was strong and his clan was one of the most respected in Konoha, almost as old as the clans Senju and Uchiha. Team 10 was a lucky team.

"Genins: Okamura Sachi: 174 points, Noenahi Aiku: 192 points, Murisagi Riku: 181 points."

The Blossoming Beauty, the Lonely Puppeteer, the Gentle Monster. Quite the team they were.

Names and numbers flew about the classroom as teams formed. Teammates started to go to the same desk and it was only expected of Yoshiki to sit to Kimiko's left. She did her best to ignore him and calm herself, until he spoke:

"Can you just wait for us to finally have some fun after all these years just sitting on chairs?"

A teacher took responsibility in what happened during his classes. A certain teacher chose to ignore Yoshiki's growing bump on his head left by Kimiko's punch.

The teacher's headache was getting too persistent for him to scold Kimiko. The Tokuro boy was on his own from then on. He muttered a 'Good luck' and left the classroom.

Team 9 saw a woman approach them. Hoshieki Ayumi was a tall woman with long black hair combed in a soft braid brushing her back as she walked. She had two narrow strands of hair shadowing her cheeks and forehead protector and eerie blue-ivory eyes with oval pupils like a cat's. She emanated strength and she gained immediate respect and attention from her students.

"Hi, my name is Hoshieki Ayumi. I'll start with a short presentation of myself and I will have you do the same. I am twenty-five years old and a Jounin. I am of the Hoshieki family, known for wielding _Spirit Animals_. My _Spirit Animal _is Saiga, the Ancient Tigress. I've been training hard to get where I am now and I expect nothing less of you. Proceed." she stated.

Keii was taken aback was by her straightforwardness so he took a moment to consider his words.

"My name is Taashi Keii. I'm thirteen years old and a Genin. I am of the Taashi clan, known for its great numbers and variety of Bloodline Limits. I don't know which Bloodline Limit I have, if at all, and I hope to be a worthy leader for my clan one day."

Ayumi took his words with perceptive consideration.

"My name is Oreya Kimiko. I'm almost thirteen years old, but wholly a Genin. I am of the Oreya family, known for nothing in particular. I have no Bloodline Limit, but the fact that I'm a smartass seems worthy of mentioning. I don't really know what I want. Maybe to become as good as I can and support Karami in whatever path she chooses."

Kimiko loved her sister greatly. She decided not to leave Karami alone with her parents since she wanted her sister to live a better life than she had lived. As hard as her parents seemed to be trying, they were getting closer to poverty each day that passed. Once she ascended the ranks, she could help her family out.

Yoshiki resisted the urge to say 'Show off'. He knew that the spotlight was his.

"The name is Tokuro Yoshiki. I'm thirteen years old and a Genin. I am of the Tokuro clan, known for its _Dark Flames_, _Shadowplay _ and Slaughter Day. I am curently training my _Dark Flames_, as my _Shadowplay _is fully developed. What I want ... is to see that old Isamu trying to take me down."

Ayumi and Yoshiki locked their eyes into a stare, bright blue against another shade of bright blue. He knew her face, he had seen her walking in the Hokage Tower more than once. Her eyes contained more age than she actually had. It suddenly occured to him that she had been a Genin at the time of Slaughter Day and from her look she seemed to know a bit about it. But Yoshiki had denied himself that knowledge long ago and his teacher had refused to talk about it.

"Interesting." Ayumi said flatly. "Meet me on the Training Ground Nine at ten o'clock tomorrow so we can start. Here are your forehead protectors. Wear them tomorrow."

They received the proof of their graduation with excitement as Ayumi turned and exited the classroom.

"I can complete the move I've been working at." murmured Kimiko, wrapping her forehead protector around her braided tail. The metal bent when she applied some effort to it. Due to her harsh training sessions her arms were not only musculous, but thicker than any boy's of her age. Yoshiki had snuck the word 'gruesome' in one of his descriptions of her arms.

The other two wore then traditionally, but Yoshiki's raven hair hid most of his.

"What kind of move can you make with your hair?" Yoshiki asked incredulous.

"Wanna try it?" Kimiko responded, not a bit of anger from before forgotten.

Yoshiki instantly took a step back. One hell of a team it was.

"I'm sure your parents will be proud, Kimiko!" Keii said, trying to soothe the spirits.

Kimiko snorted with discontent.

"They'll say that they expected nothing less. Something like my training is never over. I swear, if they tell me to train today I'm gonna smack them."

"Come on, you know they love you."

"I never said they didn't. Let's go. See ya!" Kimiko looked at Yoshiki for a second before she and Keii turned to leave.

They had started walking home with quick goodbyes said to their former classmates. Kimiko became aware that she was walking to the hallway for the last time and turned around to look at her classroom for one last time. It was a small version of a lecture hall fit for thirty students, however populated by less than half. The blackboard had their names and scores on it, in a corner someone had written 'School no more'. She resumed her leaving.

The hallways seemed deserted as most of the teachers had gone home for the summer holiday. She saw only a Chuunin at the entryway, probably to close and lock the gates when everybody was out.

_It'll be fine_, she told herself. _If he minds his own business, that is_. She tried to focus on the bright side, who was walking alongside her.

"We didn't get the chance to talk to Sachi." Keii said.

"Oh, right. Our teachers seem pretty cool. At least cooler than Haru-sensei back at the Academy." she grinned.

"Yeah. He always seemed to dislike us for some reason."

"And that speech from two days ago, it was so fake! I bet he was counting the days till the holiday."

They didn't seem to mind that no holiday was to await them from then on. They knew they would start taking missions and getting paid for them.

Konoha looked calm on that summer midday. A gentle breeze made leaves dance in the trees, people were silently walking back and forth to their business, and no cloud could be seen above them. Kimiko and Keii could close their eyes and let their feet take them on the way home, past the little shops with balconies right above them, past little girls running, their faces all giggles. Kimiko slid her hands behind her head, straightening her back. She really didn't want to train today, she felt so lazy even her eyelids were dancing under the sunlight.

Her small house was the first they got to. She waved goodbye to her friend and opened the always unlocked door. Locks were expensive after all. _As if there were anything worth stealing in here_. She left her sandals at the entrance and shouted:

"Kaa-san, I'm home!"

The expected answer didn't come. She stepped into the living room and looked around the small dark red old couch, past the bookshelves, past the light-coloured stool by the window. She walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There were a few side dishes she could heat up for lunch. She returned to the living room and saw that the door to the backyard was open. She stepped outside to see her sister practising with Kimiko's shurikens.

The door creaked when she closed it and her sister stopped her 'training'. _More like playing, but playing is for children after all_.

"Onee-chan! Look, I hit the tree with all of them!"

"Yeah, I see it." Kimiko grinned, patting her head. "Kara-chan, where's Mom?"

"She's with Dad at some friends I think." Karami shrugged.

"Mom and Dad have friends in Konoha?" Kimiko asked raising an eyebrow. Their situation made people shun them, their only 'friends' being Keii's parents, but even they were reserved in displaying their relationship. Konoha was a shinobi village, and not much else was successful around there. Clan leaders also took care of various branches in commerce and services, there was nearly nothing to do for the non-shinobi population. So long after the last Great Shinobi War, clans had to rely on something else in order to sustain themselves. The population had grown abruptly over the years, people lived longer and formed families. _Only tragedies and slaughters keep this village from bursting with people_. Kimiko shook the thought out of her head. She sat with Karami at the kitchen table and talked about her day.

The Hokage Tower fretted with ANBU and Jounins gathering to announce their recruits and students. Yoshiki was watching them with hands in the pockets of his black shorts. His teacher and the Hokage had found it fit for him to wear black garments, showing that he mourned the deaths of his clansmen. He couldn't care less, but he wore black nontheless. He ducked behind the corner of the hallway that led to the Hokage's office to eavesdrop on two ANBU who were whispering discontently. The _Shadowplay _could help, he remembered. With two fingers raised for concentration, his eyes turned purple, with black lines spiraling to his pupils. His body melted in the shadows and flew behind the back of the closest ANBU.

"We can't contact _the Keepers_. I hope _the objects _are buried somewhere safe." the closest one said.

"You must remember that _the Keepers_ have other business to attend to, you should wait a few days before worrying the Hokage with such a trivial problem. Besides you were supposed to sense any enemy chakra that infiltrated _the cellar_. _The objects _won't be found so easily. I'll go report to the squad captain about this, you should keep an eye on _the Casks_. They should be guarded at all costs." the one facing him, with an owl mask, commanded steadily.

"But what if _the Keepers _fall?" asked the other one unconvinced.

"Then you should brace yourself for an irreparable mess. If this gets to the ears of Root, it might be asked of us to dispose of _the Casks_." said the owl-masked one urgently, as if it were the worst-case scenario.

The statement was met with silence, and Yoshiki knew the other ANBU's eyes were wide with dread. He knew that ANBU were talking in code. _So _the Keepers _and _the Casks _are people, _the objects _are something classified and _the cellar _is the place where _the Casks _and _the objects _are hidden_.

As the other ANBU left the hallway, Yoshiki quietly shifted off his back and flew to a more peaceful corner where he could shift back to his material body. His body was covered in sweat and he was breathing heavily. He couldn't keep his _Shadowplay _for very long, it was not made for espionage, but for speed in battle. He could be up to three times faster when he moved as a shadow, as long as there was light. At night there were no shadows that distinguished without a full moon to shine upon them. His teacher had said that, when he mastered his _Shadowplay _in darkness, he would be as powerful as an Uchiha of the old times.

_There is so much power to be gathered, but what for? There are no wars, shinobi are getting more useless every day_. He knew he was not made for an ordinary life, as the only thing he knew how to do was fight and defy his limits. _I wonder how angry the Elders would be if I died on a palpitant mission. That would get in the way of their vision of me as a child-making machine. That's not who I am. _He knew best who he was not. If only he knew who he _was_ ...

* * *

Well, look at this, a little intrigue! Don't worry, there's action to come too, I'm just trying to settle this story surroundings wise. Do you find any of the characters neglected or underdeveloped? I'd love some critique *wink* *wink*

See y'all next time!


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Fast Forward**

Keii knocked on the door like he did everyday. Kimiko looked at him from her window and waved a 'Good morning' like she did everyday. After a minute, she opened the door and turned her head to shout to her family:

"I'm heading out!"

Then she closed it and joined Keii as he strode away. He had memorised every detail several years ago. Did she realise that they'd been doing that for more than five years?

Keii ran his hand to reach for his forehead protector. Due to this routine he could immediately spot anything wrong with her, if her stride was slightly faster or slower, or if she was looking at the sky or ahead of her, or glancing in many directions in panic.

On this day her steps were steady and she was looking ahead with determination. He wondered what their first training session would be like. His hand reached for the weapon holster on his right hip, feeling for his kunais and smoke bombs. Whenever he wasn't training with Kimiko, his father would train him, insisting that he be more defensive, while Kimiko told him to get on the offense. They had different visions of shinobi life, his father and her. One was worn with violence and longing for peace, the other welcomed tingling death that made her heart race. _Kimiko is right, I'm a soft one. _He knew that his everyday life wouldn't mean gambling his life while striving for strength and courage. He had a huge clan to lead, a family to raise, children to pass the heritage on to.

They turned right, straying from their usual route. The idea of taking Kimiko as his wife had crossed his mind, but seeing her abandon shinobi life just didn't seem right to him. Ever since they had met when they had been four, he had been fascinated by how surprising she was. Of course, after nine years, she could hardly surprise him, but he was still struck by how different she was from most girls. _She had always wanted to play with the boys after all. _She laughed when she scraped her knee and didn't particularly liked staying clean, she even let girls walk first into a room, sometimes boys too.

"She can make you feel like a girl in less than five minutes." his father had said once.

As they reached the training area, a clearing opened before an oak grove, the trees getting more dense as the number after the 'Training Grounds' tag rose. Training Grounds Nine was half in the grove and half in the clearing, with two training dummies at the front. A tall, dark figure was leaning against one of the dummies and they went to meet him.

Keii and Kimiko found Yoshiki struggling to keep his eyes open five minutes before ten in the morning.

"'Morning," he mumbled before trying to hold back a yawn and failing.

"Good morning." Keii replied politely.

"Aa." Kimiko replied scanning the area. She had not come unprepared and she started thinking about a good plan.

"So we have somewhere to hide, but I don't feel like it today. You know they're supposed to test our level today, right?"

Yoshiki cleared his throat.

"Yes, she is. I heard some teacher made a trend of making his students try to get a pair of bells from him, so I expect that. I don't think we'll actually be able to pull it off, but keep trying."

Kimiko didn't like his response.

"And who asked you if we were able or not?" she scoffed.

"You did." he stated simply, fixing his posture leaning on one shoulder, his arms crossed, lips lined in a slight smile.

"I wasn't talking to you!" she said and turned to the clearing before her.

Yoshiki rolled his eyes. _For a poor girl, she surely enjoys being a brat. _He was guessing she picked up fights with him on purpose, and she wasn't going to stop any time soon.

She started pacing back and forth around clearing, leaving no inch of the grass unstepped upon. The fact that her parents had not come home last night kept nagging at the back of her mind, but she tried to focus on the task at hand. _They're big fellows, there's nothing to worry, I won't be crying like a baby when they come home. _For as long as she could remember, she had been trying to make her parents acknowledge her, she had done her best to look strong in front of them. Her mother had told her how proud they were of her and she liked that too much to give it up.

"Would you stop that? It's getting draughty around here." Yoshiki spoke to her with superiority.

She stopped midway, turned to him and came in front of him. For a moment he thought she was going to hit him again. When they were facing each other, she looked like she was holding back, her hands clenched in fists. She exhaled loudly and said:

"You're right, is that what you wanna hear? You can shut up about it now!" she blurted and turned her back to him, arms crossed, staring at the clearing before her.

The calm breeze was playing with her hair, the sun making it glow in magenta sparks. _Cute, now if only she were pretty. _Her body was sturdy, broad shoulders, thick arms, piercing steely eyes against a child's face. Those were features not made to fit in a single body, much less in girl's. Yoshiki knew one couldn't have it all, but fate had been cruel to her on that part. He had made girls blush with his icy-blue eyes that seemed to fit defiantly on his soft-featured face, black hair brushing his ears and forehead. Though that had not made _her_ blush, he still assumed she envied him because of that.

Before he could begin to enjoy his small victory Ayumi appeared in a puff of smoke at precisely ten o'clock in the morning.

"Punctual, I already like you. You have to learn to appear exactly on time though. The right place at the right time is sometimes essential in battle. Anyway, our first training session will be a test." she stated, shaking two bells between the fingers of her right hand.

She was wearing her Jounin attire, Yoshiki noticed. She seemed fully focused on the task at hand, ready to give her next hours completely to them.

"You have to get these from me." she continued, hanging the bells on her left hip. "I'll give you three hours, after that we'll start some serious training. Any questions?"

Kimiko raised her hand doubtfully.

"Ano ... Ayumi-sensei, does that mean we'll have to compete against each other?"

"I never said that."

"But then how are we to split two bells into three?" she asked shaking her head.

"Who said anything about splitting? Your objective is to get them from me, all of you."

The three nodded confused. She hold back a giggle. This was the second team under her command, but she couldn't help but notice how cluelessly innocent Genin, in general, were.

"Ready?" she asked, getting another set of nods. "Scatter!" she signaled, and they disappeared. She took a few steps further into the clearing, sensing something waiting for her there.

_Just a few more steps, one more, one more. _Kimiko had not paced around before aimlessly. She had a laid trap waiting. After her teacher had reached the desired place, she leapt from the branch where she was hiding, Ayumi getting in a defensive stance to meet her.

Kimiko started with taijutsu, hands clenched into fists. Ayumi played along, evading blow after blow, her bells jingling faintly. Kimiko increased her speed, beads of sweat appearing at her temples, trying to kick her with her left leg, but Ayumi span out of the way, deciding it was her turn to strike. She saw that Kimiko's fighting style let too many weak points exposed. She made a mental note to hold a lesson on fighting stance. She aimed for Kimiko's stomach, but the Smartass leapt out of the way, keeping a good meter between them.

"Finally." she muttered clenching her jaw. She then rose her left hand to her chest, seeming to be pulling something extremely thin.

"Chakra threads!" Ayumi soon realised, sensing a great rush of chakra from her opponent. "Aren't you a bit too young to use your chakra to this extent?"

"I've trained a lot to increase my stamina and my circulatory system." she stated sending chakra through the string. Ayumi had to take a step back as chakra began to spiral around her like a tornado. The image was rough, betraying inexperience, but the idea was impressive. _So she has some talent after all. _

"I may lack talent, but I've been working hard and I'll make the best out of these three hours!" Kimiko said, her eyes pure steel. The chakra tornado came to a halt as she rushed to meet her teacher.

Ayumi remarked that she was using various parts of the string trap to assist her in the fight, sending chakra through them for support and defense. Ayumi had to dodge more often, letting Kimiko get dangerously close to her. She wondered if her teammates were watching this carefully enough. Ayumi ducked to evade Kimiko's punch, then she leaned to the right to evade a chakra arc from the strings. Using her arms to support her body, she span her legs, one catching Kimiko's arms defending her face, the other aiming for her exposed stomach again. But Kimiko jumped, bringing her knees to her chest, then flipped her legs over her head aiming for Ayumi's back. She was close, too close, but not close enough. Ayumi span out of the way, bringing Kimiko's arms down with her. Her next kick caught Kimiko's right thigh, lifting her up in the air. She landed on her feet a few meters away from her teacher.

"I see you're a close-ranged type. I'm one too." Ayumi stated with a half-smile. She let a little chakra from her _Spirit Animal _leak on her face and for a second her eyes were surrounded by black eyelids, whiskers on her cheeks, her teeth sharper.

Kimiko's eyes widened in wonder. But before she could say anything Ayumi's face was back to normal.

"Maybe you should approach this in a different manner. All of you." Ayumi spoke loudly, looking around the oak trees and the bushes between them.

_I wouldn't say so, _Kimiko almost said, giving herself away. But she disappeared in the grove, trying to catch her breath and get a quick rest. She went deeper until she could no longer see her teacher. There she opened her fist, a bell in it. She tucked it in her weapon holster then clutched her right thigh in pain. _Still worth it. _She then went to look for Keii.

She found him hiding in a bush where he could see everything that was happening in the clearing. She kept herself hidden, trying to find a solution that would benefit him. _He has to get a bell, but he's not that good in close-ranged fights. _Maybe he should approach this in a different manner ... Kimiko's head snapped up in realisation. _We're a team, we're not supposed to split anything, but share. Like a family shares a house. The bells were supposed to be common property! _

She almost slapped her forehead. She had done it the hard, stupid way. She had half a mind to retrieve the bell to her teacher, but she knew she had to assume her mistake and help the other two in getting the second one. Her hands turned into a blur of handseals.

"Telecommunication Jutsu." she murmured softly so as not to let her presence known.

She found Yoshiki almost instantly, as he was wondering if he should tell Ayumi that one of the bells was missing.

"_Hey._" she let out in her mind.

His head snapped to his left, then his right before realising that she wasn't anywhere near him.

"_What the ...? You little ... How?_" he replied.

"_Well ... first I have to tell you, I wasn't spying on you, I just stumbled into your training session and decided to sit and watch._"

"_You liar,_" he snapped back. "_You were totally stalking me._"

She let a jingling laugh in her mind. She had just happened to walk through the edge of the Konoha Forest trying to find a place to train, as her backyard had been taken by Karami and her little friends. The Jutsu fascinated her and she practised it to perfection.

"_This is an ANBU Jutsu, you could get in trouble for this. How did you know I had it activated anyway?_" Yoshiki continued.

"_I didn't, I just gave it a shot. And I know you use the frequency your teacher taught you so we won't get in trouble for this._"

Before Yoshiki could say '_not unless I turn you in_' she prodded on:

"_Second, I've got something to ask of you. Please, please work together with Keii in getting the second bell. I'll help too. We were supposed to get both of them as a team, but I didn't stop to think until now. Please?_"

"_You ... wait, you're asking me to work with you after all your insistence in staying away from me? After saying that you'd never team up with me?_" his words rang in the silence of their minds.

"_Please?_" she probed.

Yoshiki burst into laughter. A satisfied one. Kimiko reminded herself that she would do just about anything for her friend, so she had to cope with Yoshiki.

"_You owe me, big time. And you should know that I can hear your thoughts too. Keii might prove an important blackmail asset._" Yoshiki said confidently, ignoring the fact the he had let himself be persuaded by her.

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you!_" she yelled in his mind, causing him to put his hands on his ears uselessly. "_Let's get to Keii, he's in the bush on the right of the one behind Ayumi-sensei._"

"_Which right?_" Yoshiki asked teasingly.

"_Ayumi-sensei's._" she replied simply, then dispelled the jutsu.

* * *

Okay, finally managed to pull off a fight scene, however short. Or maybe I didn't manage to pull it off, you decide xD. Hope that Kimiko isn't too OP, I mean what she can do is fancier than anything else. See you next time! :D


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Pause**

Team Nine were on their positions. Keii was waiting for Kimiko's signal in his his bush, Yoshiki was on the oaken branch above him, Kimiko beside him. They seemed to talk in hushed voices. In the middle of the clearing, Ayumi stood expectantly, watching them from her peripheral vision.

_Finally, it took an hour for them to devise a plan, but at least they saw the meaning of this test_. She knew she had a good team setup. Kimiko was a good attacker and support, Yoshiki was definitely fast and sneaky, about Keii she knew that he was less impulsive than his two teammates and that he was the more balanced in battle. _Good defense, maybe even a good medic. I have yet to see what the boys can do exactly_.

'Now!' Kimiko shouted. The two boys jumped from their positions and settled in a fighting stance to each of Ayumi's sides, keeping their teacher in the middle. Before Ayumi could engage in battle Kimiko jumped down where she had landed earlier and pulled the two chakra strings she had left there. The string that had encircled Ayumi became rectangular, an isle with chakra borders forming. Yoshiki stood between Ayumi and Kimiko, Keii to her other side.

Ayumi tried to kick Yoshiki in the stomach, but he immediately melted into a shadow, evading her foot and materializing just millimeters away from it. The teacher didn't stop to wonder, nor did the other two. Kimiko watched their teacher swirling into a dance with her two teammates.

Yoshiki was fast, but inconsistent and inexperienced. As the fight dragged on, he had to shift to the defense, trying his best to evade the Jounin's kicks. She needed only an arm to block Keii's hits, evading with her upper body when necessary and keeping one leg on the ground for balance.

The teacher hazarded a look to her left hip right when Keii tried to snatch the bell. She spun around and grasped Yoshiki's right ankle halfway to her chest. Keeping him hanging upside down with one hand, his strands of hair almost touching the messed grass, she punched Keii in the left shoulder with the other. The boy lost balance and staggered backward breathing heavily, leaving his right side exposed. Ayumi didn't need to think where to direct her foot.

For a heartbeat all the sounds surrounding them became quieter. Their field of view narrowed, time moving the sun slowly to the zenith. The lively part of the village seemed a thousand miles away.

'You gave up a clinching advantage for a comrade.' Ayumi said neutrally to Kimiko, who had just blocked her teacher's kick with both her arms. Keii and Yoshiki exhaled at the same time. The latter had his arms crossed to his chest, his narrowed eyes betraying focus. He was considering his next move. He had exhausted _Shadowplay_ and the _Dark Flames_ were too dangerous to use without a conductor.

'You aren't in the prettiest of the situations right now. I have a hostage.' Ayumi continued and shook Yoshiki's ankle, interrupting his train of thought. 'I could break into a run and keep the bell away from you. I could take you on with one arm and one leg, splitting your attention to your other teammate too. You had a decision to make: to save your friends or to trust them. This often makes the difference between life and death.'

'Good things bells don't die.' Kimiko said and pushed Ayumi's leg off her arms, engaging in battle. Despite her determination, Ayumi could still very well defend herself with her left half of her body, even trying to hit every once in a while. Yoshiki was spinning violently around Ayumi. He tried to hang onto his teacher's side for support, but she kept pushing him back. When he was finally regaining his balance he saw Kimiko's smile.

'Now!' she shouted and swung her head widely. Her braid followed, her forehead protector hitting Ayumi full in the face. The teacher froze in shock for a second, but that was enough for Yoshiki to reach over and grab the bell. Kimiko wasted no time as she kicked Ayumi's right hand and made her drop her teammate on the ground.

Silence filled Training Grounds Nine. Kimiko dropped on the ground, inhaling the discreet scent of grass and sweat. Yoshiki's mind was spinning around from having been hung upside down. Keii watched Ayumi's left cheek, a red mark with what hinted at Konoha's symbol adorning it. The teacher breathed in and out and began:

'That was an interesting move, congratulations. I believe I've made my point on how important and useful teamwork can be. You're gonna go through more of this in the future, but at higher stakes. Your lives will be in danger, your full focus will be necessary and time will be chasing you each step you make.' Her expression softened, a grin making its way to her face. 'But you will be prepared. I'm taking it upon myself to make you true shinobi. I see a bright future ahead of you. Well done today!' she gave a thumbs up.

'Thank you, Ayumi-sensei!' Keii said glowing with happiness, already at Kimiko's side.

'Hehe, sorry about that.' Kimiko grinned sheepishly, looking at Ayumi's cheek.

'This?' Ayumi asked pointing at it. 'Don't worry about it. Now I would like to make a full assessment of this test. Tokuro Yoshiki-kun.'

Said boy straightened.

'Your Bloodline Limit is ever so interesting. Did your teacher tell you of any limitations you might have on your _Shadowplay_?' Ayumi asked, standing in a casual posture, her hand to her chin, her eyes studying Yoshiki.

'Quite a few actually. I can't manipulate chakra into light as it is required to form a shadow, I just use the sun and dark manipulation. For this reason I can't form shadows in poorly lit places like the Nara can. Osa-sensei is confident that I'll figure it out, but I have no idea how to even start. There is also the chakra consumption problem, but that will improve with training. Finally, my shadows are completely immaterial for now, so completely harmless. Well, that might be a good thing actually.'

'Yeah, you won't accidentally kill us in battle.' Kimiko chirped.

'Can't say the same about you. You might in fact kill me!' Yoshiki glowered.

'Are you saying that I could beat you?' Kimiko added fuel to the fire.

'You haven't even seen my _Dark_ —'

'Moving on.' Ayumi interrupted loudly. 'Taashi Keii-kun. I can see that your chakra control is better than the average. I'm curious to see what Bloodline Limit you inherited from the tens that circulate among your clansmen. Did your parents tell you what you are most likely to get?'

'No, my father never mentioned it. My mom told me she doesn't have any.' he replied in thought.

'Aside from that, I can see some similarities between you too.' their teacher said pointing to Kimiko and Keii. 'Are you training together?'

'From time to time.' Keii glanced at Kimiko, who was listening intently. 'When I can take it, she's quite a machine.' he continued smiling.

'Which gets me to you.' Ayumi pointed to her female student. 'You are one strange kid.' she said admiringly.

'Umm ... is that good or bad?' Kimiko grinned.

'You decide. Your training must have really paid off. Your stamina is impressive for a Genin and your circulatory system is very efficient. You recover faster and I see you put chakra to good use and got creative. That move with your hair was completely unexpected at your level.'

'Well, thanks Ayumi-sensei, I read some books on chakra molding and found it really easy to channel my chakra through my hair. Then came the chakra strings, but my skills are pretty rough on that one.'

'Which is why you're going to focus your work on it. Your body gives you advantage to be a taijutsu type, but you have more potential than that. Speaking of which, we are going to train three hours every morning between missions from now on, especially on taijutsu, especially on defense. I will teach you how to defend yourselves properly ...'

But the three's minds lingered on the word 'missions'.

'Missions? What kind of missions?' Kimiko asked eagerly, her right hand clenched in a fist.

'No need to be so enthusiastic about it, it's probably just easy stuff.' Yoshiki scoffed.

'Again, I wasn't talking to you!' Kimiko growled, staring murderously at the source of her annoyance. _Of all people—_

'Maybe we should call it a day. You put some good work together today, go celebrate.'

'Yosh! Let's go!' Kimiko gestured to Keii to join her and started walking to the alley. 'Goodbye, Ayumi-sensei!' all three shouted at the same time. Their teacher waved back and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

They had not paid attention to the sun, but it was past noon and the streets of the village stirred with people going back and forth, words exchanged flying about their ears in a mess of sounds. They were used to it, it could even surpass the ringing in their ears caused by the effort earlier. Only two streets away from home did Kimiko realize that Yoshiki had joined them.

'Isn't your home that way?' she pointed backwards.

'Who said I was going home?' he responded, his tone daring her to continue pursuit.

Before she could yell though, Keii intervened:

'I invited him. Sooner or later you'll have to work out your differences. If I I hadn't just seen you working together I would've thought it impossible, but I have. You could really be good friends if you just stopped being so aggressive.'

'You know that once we're Chuunin we can leave this team, right?' Yoshiki said chuckling.

'Yeah, I don't have to stoop that lo—'

The scream interrupted any words or thoughts that had been traveling through their minds up to then. Kimiko broke into a run, she recognized the voice.

'It's Karami-chan!' Keii exclaimed. 'Let's go!' he urged Yoshiki. They followed Kimiko while she took the corner then raced to the narrow space between her home and a grumpy neighbour's. The lane was always shaded by one of the houses, making it almost impossible to see anything without stepping inside it.

Kimiko approached the outline of her sister who stood unmoving before something. Her eyes widened when she sighted a woman's hand, then, as her eyes got used to the poor lighting, the magenta hair and two sprawled bodies, then the dark red blood staining them.

She took her sister's shoulder and turned her so that she was facing her light gray eyes.

'Don't look' she said in a hushed voice. But behind Karami's shoulder, she could see the slit throats. Tears were racing down both their faces as their bodies locked into a tight embrace, trying to hold on to each other, trying to hold on to life.

Keii and Yoshiki stood a few feet behind them, frozen in shock. _How ... why— weren't they civilians? _Yoshiki ran through numerous possibilities, until it hit him. _The _Keepers _... no, it can't be. _

'I'll call the ANBU.' he said and ran back on the street. He jumped on the nearest roof. _If this is what I think it is, then this is really bad. _The words 'irreparable mess' rang in his ears. The situation was dire, he knew, and somehow his mind couldn't come with a solution to it. _What solution is there for death? _His soul burst with pity for the two sisters even though he knew that would be the last thing Kimiko wanted. He had to admit, he had no idea how to tread around her from then on. _Should I behave like nothing happened? No. _He didn't know how it was to have people to love, but he could tell that losing someone you had used to take for granted should hurt.

Back in a shaded place, Keii had his own thoughts. He forced himself to look at the pile of flesh and blood that had been two people not so long ago. He could almost hear Kimiko's mother inviting him to dinner even though they barely had enough to get by. He could sense the laugh on the back of his throat that always came when her dad was cracking jokes. If life was ordinary, death felt surreal. His hands became fists as tears fought their way through his eyes. _Who would do this? They had done nothing to upset anyone ... what are Kimi-chan and Kara-chan going to do now? _

* * *

Sorry for the somber atmosphere, it won't be like this all the time, just a couple of chapters. If you're into this kind of stuff like I am (*guilty*) then I hope you like it.

See you next time :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Rewind**

The skies were crying over the black silhouettes in the cemetery. Every colour surrounding them seemed punchy, out of place. The droplets hitting the ground blocked any other sound and trapped the lonely souls in their misery. The dead had already been buried, their grave a pool of mud. No one dared come close to it for fear of unwashable stains, both muddy and deathly.

Karami was wearing a black dress that was too loose, but also too short to fit her. It had been the dress her big sister had worn at their grandmother's funeral more than nine years ago, before Karami was conceived. Kimiko wore her mother's dress from that day, finding to lack any piece of black clothing of her own. Her right hand sustained a black umbrella over their heads, her arm held tightly by her sister. Her left hand was hanging idly, sometimes reaching to wipe the tears from her face. They were facing the grave, not being able to hear anything but echoes of their parents' voices, jingle laughters and sharp shrieks. All those were hurting them as if cutting through their flesh. They did not see the grave, but their parents' eyes creased from a genuine smile. The looks stabbed their bodies deep as if trying to find a soul and kill it.

Yoshiki could see that Kimiko was crying, despite her standing as straight and still as a statue. He and Keii were standing to the right facing the grave, their backs to the cemetery entrance, where Keii's parents stood. Their stern faces betrayed discomfort. Few people came to say their goodbyes and those who did come had left immediately after the grave had been filled. Kimiko snappily turned her head to answer a question, only to shake it once. She refused to speak a few words about her parents.

Kimiko considered that words would be useless in this situation anyway. What was she supposed to say? She didn't want to say goodbye, she wanted to scream for her parents, she wanted to thrash at the air, she wanted to curse everybody and everything, she didn't want to remain still any longer. She could feel her sister trembling, the weather outside chilling her to the bone, the short loose dress only letting the cold in. She tucked at the left sleeve of her mother's dress shivering. Her sister looked up at her, pulling at her arm. It had ended, it had finally ended. Kimiko closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. A crow landed on a branch in the oak tree guarding the entrance, wings strewn to keep the raindrops away, and pointed its beak upwards letting out a shriek. Kimiko instantly tensed and opened her eyes, wiping her tears one more time. She turned to face Keii, her eyes boring holes into his. _Pity. As if enough pity could bring them back. _Her head averted barely to meet Yoshiki's icy stare. His eyes were just as dull as hers. _He does not understand, nor is he pretending to. _Kimiko wondered briefly how it would have been if she had been alone like him. She looked away.

Keii approached timidly, Yoshiki at his heels.

"You have our family's full support in this." he said lowly, looking at his feet.

Kimiko crouched to her sister's level.

"Go with Taashi-san. He'll take you to Junri." she said dully, shaking her right arm softly to break her sister's hold, passing the umbrella to her. Karami nodded and turned her back on her, taking little steps to the Head of the Taashi clan.

Keii looked at his teammate questioningly.

"Before I do anything, I have to know." she responded to his silent inquiry.

Behind Keii she could see Ayumi approaching, escorted by two ANBU ninja. She was all in black, except her Chuunin vest. Kimiko started walking towards them, her two teammates following her. The Jounin nodded in greeting, the Genin nodding back.

"They are here to ask you about when you found your parents." she said softly, but clearly, her voice ringing through the rain. She and the ANBU were soaked to the bone, not bothering to hold an umbrella.

"I've already told you everything I know. You found them exactly how they were when we did. No one touched them." Kimiko ruthlessly replied, as if trying to slash at the pain in her dry throat. She swallowed trying to keep herself under control.

"Protocol." one ANBU said decisively. Yoshiki's eyes narrowed in remembrance of the owl mask he was wearing. Once again, the ANBU's past words rang in his ears. _They show up here as if it hadn't been their job to protect Kimiko and her family. It's entirely their fault, and now they're just trying to clean up this mess with this sorry excuse for a protocol. These stains will never be removed. _His brows furrowed at the thought.

"I'll answer your questions if it helps." Keii offered kindly. "I was with her the entire time. There's no need to peck further at this."

"Then we'll do as planned. Kimiko, come with me, I have something to show you." Ayumi said looking to her left and right at the ANBU flanking her, then back at Kimiko. "Just the two of us."

The ANBU nodded in acceptance and took Keii to the entrance of the cemetery. Yoshiki turned to his teacher, his eyes raking her face for any clue. The rain stopped, silence filling every spot left in the somber setting.

"Do you know what's going on, Ayumi-sensei?" he finally asked.

"Yes, I have been informed last night." The dark circles under her eyes only added to her stern face. "I have reached an agreement with the higher-ups that Kimiko deserves to know too. There was a Council meeting, where you have been expected, Yoshiki-kun. However, the more pressing matters made them postpone some decision they had to make regarding you."

Yoshiki tensed visibly. The Council had yet to decide his betrothal, which was the only thing Yoshiki was terrified of. He silently thanked all the gods in the world for his freedom.

"The Hokage has requested your presence. You should go." Ayumi informed him. Yoshiki swallowed, but nodded.

"I'll be off then." He turned to leave, but spared a glance to his teammate. "Oh, and Kimiko, ... _make them pay_." he said, the last three words a whispered promise. Kimiko winced at the flicker of anger that made his eyes glow for a heartbeat, but nodded. She watched his back as the wind made his jacket flap violently until she could no longer see him.

"Does he know about this too?" Kimiko finally asked, turning to her teacher.

Ayumi sighed. "It is very much possible. He lives in the Hokage Tower, I'm sure he knows far more than he was ever supposed to know. Follow me, I have to show you something."

Kimiko silently obliged, feeling the crow staring at her back as she exited the cemetery. They turned right, heading towards the marketplace, then passed it without a word of greeting to anyone. She knew most of the merchants there, for it was where her parents earned their little. The rain had subsided by the time they were on the familiar street. Kimiko soon realised that her own house held the answers she sought.

When they arrived, Ayumi opened the door knowing that it had no locks. Without taking her shoes off, she stepped in the small entranceway and into the living room. Kimiko found this hard to take. This woman, whom she barely knew, was leading her through her own house like she were a guest. Without so much as a glance around her, Ayumi crossed the living room to the small hallway that held doors to her parents' bedroom, her sister and her own, and the bathroom. Ayumi opened the lightly scratched door on the right to enter her parents' bedroom, its emptiness striking. The dressing of the bed was missing but for the sheets, the closet wide open. The small red carpet that had been on the left, between the closet and the bed, had been removed. Kimiko swallowed the objections that she immediately felt on the back of her throat.

"Kimiko, your parents loved you and your sister greatly." Ayumi started, causing Kimiko to turn to her, her eyes gray pools of tears. Her teacher's voice softened. "so much so, that they wanted to surpass their own condition to provide you with a decent way of living. They have kept a secret from you for a few years. I suggest you sit down."

Kimiko wanted to deny the existence of any secrets in her family, but obliged nonetheless. She stared at her teacher, waiting. For what she did not know.

"A few years ago, following an unpreceded attack to our reliquary, an issue was left for Root and ANBU to address: the new place where scrolls containing forbidden techniques of great importance were to be kept. Root has come with a promising solution: having civilians store them in their homes for as long as they are willing to do so. The place would be monitored by ANBU day and night. People who were considered inconspicuous and who had no link with the world of shinobi were recruited.

"Your parents seemed the perfect candidates and they accepted when they were offered a generous monthly payment. They have kept their cover for longer than originally expected, which may be why what happened is shocking for everyone involved in this. Now you are too."

"Impossible," Kimiko snapped, "this is bullshit! A notary came the other day, told me I'm the main beneficiary of my family's heirloom. He told me to look everywhere for any valuable to be declared in the document of succession. I found nothing, and I knew beforehand! We're not rich! And I didn't find some old scrolls either! You're wrong, you must be wrong. No, I won't believe it." She crossed her arms waiting for Ayumi's response.

The woman's eyes filled with pity. She took a step toward the place where the red carpet should have been, then delivered a sharp heel to the wooden tile underneath her right foot. The tile span under the force revealing a hiding place below the floor. Kimiko went to her knees leaning downwards to see what was inside the hidey hole. Her hand entered it and retrieved a new looking scroll. She handed it to Ayumi, who sat on the bed.

She unrolled it on her knees, where a seal was painted on the entire paper. Forming a seal of her own, she let out a sharp "Kai!", followed by a _poof_. The white smoke dispersed, leaving various artifacts that seemed to be expensively adorned scrolls or scroll containers in its wake. Kimiko regarded them carefully for a minute, muttering words that seemed to fall in the lines of 'impossible' and 'how'. Ayumi's head turned to face her.

"It happened four days ago, the day the teams were assigned. That means they had been missing for two days when you found them. Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, staring at Kimiko, who sat on the bed next to her looking at her hands.

"I didn't think it was ... serious. There was no point in making a fuss if I knew they had to return eventually." Her hands balled into fists, her knuckles white. "The first dead bodies I ever saw in my life proved to be my parents'. They were so pale, and their hands and feet were red."

"Blood accumulates in the extremities once the heart stops beating." Ayumi quickly responded, gently stroking her arm.

"I know that, the doctor from the morgue told me, then the washerwoman that helped me clean them. Still I couldn't stop myself from staring. Is that what my life is gonna look like? A pile of bodies every now and then to be my handiwork? Will I look like that eventually? Just a heap of meat that looks nothing like me." Tears fell from her eyes. "I couldn't see my parents in those bodies, they were just _gone_. And I can't do anything about it, I've never even dreamt about it, I can't even begin to think how we'll survive from now on."

"Kimiko, I can't pretend to understand how you're—"

"Yeah, that's right, you can't. And you can't help me because it can't be helped." Kimiko's voice turned grim. "My parents are gone and it can't be helped." She stood up abruptly, putting some distance between them. "I need some time alone. I'll be on time at the next training session. You can go now."

"Kimiko... "

"Please." she let out, choked midway by a sob she forced down inside her.

Ayumi nodded resigned. With her head bowed in shame at her own incapability, she let herself out. Once the last sound of a closing door faded into silence, Kimiko's stiffness gave in to her weak state. She walked calmly to the backyard and sat leaning against the oak that shaded them in hot summers. The sky had cleared out, making for a nice sunset to be seen. There was no one to see her tears, no one to hear her wailing. She started punching the tree, each punch matched by a sob. Soon the sobs turned into screams, and the screams turned into weak shrieks. She fell asleep shivering, with red eyes and salty cheeks, under the starry sky and the rustling leaves.

* * *

This chapter was hard to write, but I owe my thanks to Guns'n'Roses - Knockin' on Heaven's Door for the second half of this. Trust music to help you push forward with determination. See you next time :)


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